Gop Legislators Near A School Funding Plan

SPRINGFIELD — House and Senate Republicans are closing in on a plan to boost funding for the state's public grade and high schools by as much as $300 million next budget year, GOP sources said Friday.

Additionally, both sides are nearing a proposal requiring a skills test as a condition for a high school diploma and making pupils meet basic standards at some elementary school grades before advancing.

But differences still remain among Republican House and Senate education negotiators on how the extra dollars should be distributed to local schools. In this debate, regional concerns between the suburbs and Downstate are a significant issue.

And even if legislative negotiators reach agreement on the outstanding money and reform issues needed to approve a schools package, questions remain about how receptive Gov. Jim Edgar will be to the proposal.

Lawmakers are keeping Edgar apprised of the negotiations, but the Republican governor is not an active participant in the talks. Earlier this spring, Edgar advanced the idea of overhauling the state's method of paying for public schools by offering a proposed amendment to the Illinois Constitution.

Republican leaders in the Senate and House quickly dismissed Edgar's idea. It would have required a tax increase, and that carried too high a price for GOP lawmakers looking to keep their legislative majorities in an election year.

Edgar felt that GOP leaders gave his proposal short shrift, though he later said he would work with lawmakers on an overall school funding plan for the coming budget year.

House Speaker Lee Daniels (R-Elmhurst) said Friday that he was "very pleased by the progress of the negotiations by the House and Senate," adding that both sides "are very close" to agreement.

Daniels, however, offered few details of the discussions.

But GOP sources familiar with the talks said House Republicans want to boost school funding by $301.5 million for the budget year that starts July 1, an increase of $81.5 million above what Edgar proposed.

Senate Republicans, however, are looking at adding slightly less. They have proposed a $50 million addition to the $220 million increase proposed by the governor.

Either way, the extra money would push general state funds funneled to schools over $4.15 billion.

But more than the dollar differences, a larger dilemma for Republicans is finding agreement on a way to parcel out the money to individual school districts across the state.

House Republicans, like Edgar, want to put $50 million more into the current general state school-aid formula, which benefits Downstate districts. The remainder would go to all schools as per-pupil flat grants, which benefit suburban schools.

Senators, however, want to give 70 percent of any new money to districts on a per-pupil basis while distributing 30 percent to poorer districts, mainly those Downstate.

Regardless, both sides agree that the excess funding should not go for teacher salaries. A House plan would specifically earmark the extra dollars for upgraded technology, school improvement, violence prevention, summer school and other categories.

On the reform side, sources said plans are being made to force students to pass an exam to receive a high school diploma. Students also would have to take and pass exams in some elementary school grades.

If Edgar rejects the plan after May 31, it could force a special session of the General Assembly that would empower Democrats, the minority party in the House and Senate. Starting June 1, Democratic votes would be needed to pass legislation with the three-fifths vote required by the state constitution.